Esquire honors State Bird Provisions and AQ as top newcomers, plus Adam Mali and Perbacco

Leading the way on the headliner — the 20 best new restaurants in America — are a pair of local faces in State Bird Provisions and AQ. Both restaurants continue to rack up the honors, from AQ’s James Beard nod to State Bird’s big Bon Appetit win to myriad others.

Mariani on AQ: “[B]y using the more sensible ideas of molecular cuisine, modernism, and locavorism, a great chef like Mark Liberman can turn out tantalizing, ever-changing ideas without having only enough time and space to serve fifteen people per night.”

But as always with Mr. Mariani, there are some surprises; see his picks last year for a reminder. This year, he crowns Adam Mali — chef at the Mandarin Oriental’s months-old Brasserie S&P — as one of his five up-and-coming chefs to watch. Also of note: Atlanta’s Optimist was the restaurant of the year, NoMad’s roast chicken was the dish of the year, and Drew Nieporent was inducted into the Esquire Restaurant Hall of Fame.

In another list, Esquire picks Perbacco as San Francisco’s best restaurant for a business meeting, with the added advice that the salumi plate is a must-order. Discuss away in the comments.